Poll: Clinton Breaks 50% against GOP Rivals for 2016

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 12, 2014

This McClatchy-Marist Poll Reports:

If Hillary Clinton were to run for president in 2016 and win her party’s nomination, a majority of registered voters nationally would support Clinton, regardless of her Republican opponent. Her closest competitor is Paul Ryan who Clinton leads by single digits. Clinton has a similar lead when up against former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

“Voters are still a long way from making choices,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. “But, right now, Clinton is in a league of her own.”

Among registered voters nationally, here is how Hillary Clinton fares against potential Republican candidates:
• Clinton — 52% — leads Paul Ryan — 44% — by 8 percentage points. Four percent are undecided. When McClatchy-Marist last reported this question in December, Clinton received 56% to 40% for Ryan. Four percent, at that time, were undecided.
• Clinton — 53% — is also ahead of Romney — 44% — by single digits. Three percent are undecided.
• Against Mike Huckabee, Clinton opens up a double-digit lead. Here, 55% of voters are for Clinton compared with 41% for Huckabee. Four percent are undecided.
• Clinton — 56% — has a seventeen percentage point advantage over Ted Cruz —
39%. Five percent are undecided. In December, Clinton received 57% to 35% for Cruz. Seven percent, at that time, were undecided.
• Clinton also outpaces Jeb Bush by 20 percentage points. 58% of voters nationally support Clinton compared with 38% for Bush. Four percent are undecided. In December, Clinton had 53% while Bush received 41%. Six percent, then, were undecided.
• When matched against Rand Paul, Clinton leads by 20 percentage points. A majority — 58% — supports Clinton compared with 38% for Paul. Four percent are undecided. In that previous McClatchy-Marist survey, 55% backed Clinton while 40% were for Paul. Five percent were undecided.
• Against Chris Christie, Clinton — 58% — outdistances Christie — 37% — by 21 percentage points. Six percent are undecided. When this question was reported in January, 50% of voters were for Clinton while 37% were for Christie. 12% were undecided.
• Nearly six in ten voters — 58% — support Clinton compared with 37% for Marco Rubio. Four percent are undecided. In December, 52% backed Clinton while 42% supported Rubio. Five percent were undecided.
• Against Sarah Palin, Clinton receives 62% to 35% for Palin. Three percent are undecided. Two months ago, 59% were behind Clinton compared with 36% for Palin. Four percent were undecided.

A majority of registered voters — 52% — has a favorable view of Clinton. 43% have an unfavorable impression of her, and 5% have either never heard of her or are unsure how to rate her. In January, 51% of voters thought well of Clinton. 39% had a lesser view of her, and 10% had either never heard of her or were unsure how to rate her.

Half of Americans, including a slim majority of voters, give Clinton high marks for her tenure as Secretary of State. 50% of adults approve of the job she did. This includes 18% who think she did an excellent job and 32% who believe she did a good one. 28% rate her performance as fair while 19% give her poor marks. Three percent are unsure. Among registered voters, 51% of voters think highly of the job Clinton did as Secretary of State. 26% report she did an average job while 20% say she fell short. Three percent of voters are unsure.